The Missing
by SoulessRobot
Summary: Stephen Strange is taking no chances with Thanos this time around but he really wishes that New York's Vigilantes were less eclectic and would stop making wizard jokes. A what if the Defenders were at the final battle against Thanos one-shot.


**The Missing **

* * *

Luke blinked awake in the barbershop. Had he passed out?

He looked around. Pop's shop looked like a warzone, somehow it was worse than after the drive-by shooting. Along the wall were overflowing trash bags that the flies had long since left them to their decay. A thick layer of dust covered everything with sheets thrown over all the barber chairs. It looked like someone had just sealed it up and left it. But, that couldn't be this was practically Harlem's beating heart.

What on _Earth _happened here and where was everyone?

His phone vibrated in his pocket and Marvin Gaye's smooth voice echoed across the empty shop. It was eerie he needed to get out of here and find out what was happening. He quickly swiped his finger across the phone screen to answer and stepped over to the door. The door, like the rest of the place, looked worse for wear. The shiny brass doorknob and lock he remembered installing just weeks ago was speckled with rust. He pressed his ear to the phone, cradling it against his shoulder.

"Hello?" He started, he hadn't even had a chance to look at the number before answering. He gripped the knob with his right hand and twisted, while he jostled the rusty lock with his left. The metal screeched but didn't budge.

_Great,_ he was going to have to break it.

"Luke!" Jessica breathed out like a prayer, "You're back. It's really you."

"Jessica? I'm not sure I follow. What's going on?" He managed to pop the knob off and shove the door open. The cellphone clattered to the ground as he stared out at his city. Half the buildings looked bombed out. The other half looked empty. Litter blew in the streets and there were people standing around the street in various states of confusion.

_Sweet Christmas_. What on Earth happened to Harlem?

The stunned silence quickly wore off as he heard Jessica's voice rumbling up from his phone. He crouched down and picked it up, pressing it back against his ear.

"What the hell happened? I'm standing in Harlem and it looks like the apocalypse."

Jessica was silent for a moment, "You remember the alien ship in midtown that attacked and then up and left?"

"Yeah."

"Well turns out they worked for an intergalactic bastard named Thanos. He got his hands on some reality-altering power and killed half of everything in the universe." Luke felt like the wind was knocked out of him. He needed to sit down. "Sorry Luke, you've been gone for five years."

He licked his lips, unsure of what to say. It'd been five years? This was Harlem in five years? What about Misty? What had everyone done without him?

"You?" Luke paused to put his thoughts together, "Were you gone too?"

Jessica was quiet a moment, "No, I saw all the shit go down." Her voice was heavy even compared to the normal storm cloud of problems that followed Jessica Jones around, "Thank god for whiskey though."

"If I was dead how am I back now?"

"That's what I'm calling about. I have Danny and-" Her voice dipped even deeper into sarcasm, "_a wizard_ in my apartment that are asking us to go help the Avengers prevent the universe wide apocalypse from happening again. Thought you might want in on the action?"

Luke didn't even hesitate, "Yes. I'll meet you-"

"There's no need," a voice said from his left. Luke twisted his head to see a man in cloak float out of a glowing orange portal. From the other side, Danny waved and Jessica took a long drink from a bottle of whiskey.

"Welcome back to the land of the living." Jessica said, stepping forward and giving him a quick hug and one of her rare smiles, before she pulled back and looked between the other two, "Now who wants to go get Murdock?"

* * *

Someone appeared out of thin air in Matt's kitchen. He wasn't there before then the air shifted, and a heartbeat sounded a few feet away from him. He threw a punch on reflex aiming for the figures face. His hand was caught by what felt like some kind of fabric. Whatever it was it definitely was not there a second ago. His hackles rose as he backed off in a defensive crouch tilting his head to the side to listen better.

"Who are you?" He growled, his heart speed up when he realized a heartbeat was missing, _Oh shit, _Foggy was here. He was supposed to be here! They'd just been having drinks; their relationship getting back to normal, or as Foggy said the most normal it could be when your best friend was a vigilante with the self-preservation skills of a sea cucumber. Now Matt couldn't hear him. Foggy wasn't in his apartment and that was a problem.

He growled at the man. Who the hell was this guy and where was Foggy?

"Relax, Mr. Murdock." A male voice said. His adrenaline spiked. _Shit! _He hadn't even been thinking. He wasn't in the costume. He shook the thought off and clenched his fists. It didn't matter, he needed to find out what happened to Foggy!

"I need your help," the voice continued, "You've been gone for the last five years. Half of everyone in the universe has been dead in cataclysmic event."

The man's heartbeat was steady, truth. That was… how was that possible?

"The Avengers are fighting Thanos, the cause of all this, trying to prevent it from happening again. But, they need all the help they can get. I take it with your other persona you would be on board?"

Matt grunted, whoever this guy was he was telling the truth, or at least he thought he was. That didn't mean he was trustworthy though. "You didn't answer either of my questions. Who are you and where's Foggy?"

"I'm Doctor Stephen Strange, as far as I know, Mr. Nelson moved back into his family's shop."

"That's not-" Matt said stepping closer to the man, he smelled oddly of ash and incense.

"Oh, enough of this shit!" A familiar voice reverberated around the room as a hint of the bitter smell of alcohol wafted into the room from heaven knows where.

He cocked his head to the side, "_Jessica!_?"

A right hook caught him in his chest. He stumbled back.

Ow, he grimaced. Yes, that was definitely Jessica.

"That's for letting us think you were dead, _asshole_!" Matt blinked, yeah he probably deserved that, "Now enough talking, Dr. Strangelove. Get your helmet Devil Boy, I'm ready to punch some aliens."

* * *

All these portals were making Luke's head spin. Not to mention that apparently magic was a thing in addition to aliens and both were present in upstate New York. Strange took them to a field with thousands of other people. Then he told them to wait while he portalled off presumably to gather more troops.

Danny had Colleen by his side. Jessica stood next to the apparently still alive Devil of Hell's Kitchen and boy did Luke have questions about that. It wasn't long into the awkward silence and nervous fidgeting that someone broke the silence. It just wasn't any of them.

"Hey Red, long time no see." Luke followed the voice and saw Frank Castle pushing his way to them through the crowd armed to his teeth in firepower. He shrugged off the suspicious looks the crowd was giving him and went straight for Murdock.

Now, Luke had never met the Punisher personally, but he'd run a bar in Hell's Kitchen for long enough to remember the Irish and Dogs of Hell massacres. It wasn't pretty then, and Luke didn't doubt the man was still just as violent.

Murdock's face twitched up into a mischievous smirk. His red half-mask making the look seem more sinister than it actually was considering the well-spoken lawyer under the leather.

"Frank, I never see."

Was that a joke? Luke wasn't even aware the brooding Devil of Hell's Kitchen was capable of that. The mass murderer snorted.

"Yeah, just wanted to make sure you weren't going to preach at me for killing while I'm trying to work. Figured alien invasions count as extenuating circumstances, unless you were planning to jump in front of every guy going down on the battlefield."

Luke raised an eyebrow. This whole conversation was oddly friendly considering everything he'd heard about the Punisher. He shared a look with Jessica who was watching the exchange with interest, no doubt taking in everything and putting the pieces together. Danny was practically vibrating beside him, his fist held in front of him like he was waiting for an excuse to go nuclear. Colleen had her hand resting on her sword, her back straight as she assessed Castle.

Matt hummed non-committedly, "Wasn't planning on it, no. I can still do the preaching though."

"Murdock if you're willing to put down self-reviving dead ninjas I'd say this should be on equal footing." Jessica piped up, "In a fight like this if we all want to make it out alive this time," she glared at Matt. He winced. "I wouldn't be worried about if they have immortal souls."

* * *

Not too long after that, dozens of other wizards showed up and did their magic circle thing summoning more portals. Strange floated up in his cloak directing the others.

He must have used a spell because even over all of the noise his voice seemed to be everywhere.

"We are in the fight of our lives. We have one goal here protecting our reality and the future. You may not agree with everyone's tactics or past here. Leave that behind, for today we are allies with one mission: to avenge and protect. Some of you remember the last five years some of you do not, just know this: Thanos poses a risk to everyone you have loved. If we want to see that the universe exists tomorrow, we need to end this here and keep Thanos from getting the stones. That's all that's important, more important than any individual's life. Remember what we're fighting for." With that, the wizard moved his hands in a circular motion and dozens of portals opened up in front of them.

Luke caught Danny and Jessica's eyes and then glanced at Murdock. They both seemed to get his signal and nodded. The Defenders wouldn't be leaving anyone behind today.

Luke saw a figure standing alone an army of thousands in front of him a broken shield on his arm. That was Captain America a small voice in his head said. THE Captain America. Luke shushed that part of him as the Captain spurred everyone forward with the battle cry of: "Avengers Assemble!"

The battlefield was chaos. The same aliens that attacked New York all those years ago rained down from the sky. The ground underneath them was scorched and deeply pocketed from explosions. Luke didn't know half the people fighting beside him, but he did his best to protect them and take hits he knew they couldn't. He tried to keep the other New York vigilantes in his line of sight, even Castle.

It was when the floating armored space whales began dropping from the mothership that things got complicated.

He heard Jessica mutter, "You've got to be _fucking kidding me_!" And he shared the sentiment.

"What's going on?" Murdock asked doing his best to navigate through the chaos, dropping into squadrons of aliens and delivering a series of punches and kicks that left them lying out flat. It was easy to forget that despite the way Murdock moved that the man was in fact blind.

Frank yelled, "Got aerial coming in Red!" At the same time, Danny screamed, "Dragons!"

Matt's brow furrowed as he kicked another soldier. "They sound like elephants."

"Trust me, Murdock they don't look a thing like elephants," Jess said as she chucked one of the soldiers she was fighting straight into the oncoming space whales.

"Luke throw me!" Danny shouted as he rushed towards him.

"What?" Luke dodged an alien trying to stab him and grabbed his staff, snapping it before he tossed the alien into the air.

"Just do it!"

"What I'm not throwing you at an alien horde, man!"

Jessica rolled her eyes and stepped between them as Danny continued to run forward, "I haven't had enough drinks to listen to you two old ladies' bicker." She gripped Danny by the back of his collar as he passed and chucked him with her full strength into the sky straight for the giant armored behemoths. "Don't hit your head on the way down, Iron Clad."

"Why would you-" Luke started, before shaking his head, "If he doesn't make it out of this Colleen is going to kill us."

"He'll be fine. Besides Colleen's over there and I'm pretty sure she can look after Danny herself." Jessica jabbed her thumb to the left where an Asian woman was mercilessly slicing through the Chitauri soldiers with her sword.

A warm light emanated from the sky and then disappeared as it connected with the Leviathan flying overhead and Danny plunged into its underbelly and emerged covered in green blood from its head.

"Did you know he was going to do that?" Luke asked looking back at her as he bashed two Chitauri soldiers together.

"Nope," Jessica said, popping the p as she kicked a group of aliens into the path of one of their allies' blasters.

Above them the Leviathan careened downwards, dead. Danny slid down the armor on the beast's side before kicking off and doing a flip, landing safely on one of the wizard's shields.

"Sweet Christmas," Luke cursed.

* * *

Matt grimaced ear's ringing as he misjudged the distance between him and his opponent and got knocked to the ground for his mistake. The amount of sensory input coming at him was too much. It was wearing him down as the fight dragged on. Fighting in Hell's Kitchen was one thing, it was familiar, he knew every nook and cranny of his city. But, there was a reason he didn't leave that often. Having to constantly remap his surroundings was damn hard.

Frankly, he was exhausted, and it was starting to show. Jessica had pulled him out of the way of overhead projectiles twice. It didn't help anything that between the aliens, wizards, and monsters on the field, he was having a hard time differentiating friend from foe. At one point across the field, someone had grown hundreds of sizes. He felt like he was in Wonderland, a thousand impossible things before breakfast and all that he mused. Whoever they were, they were the size of a building and their heartbeat pounded into his skull, deafening everything around him. His senses fizzled, and Luke stepped in front of him to block a shot Matt didn't sense.

"You alright, man?" Luke asked, his voice laced with concern.

"Don't worry about me! Tell me about if they've got the stones out of the way yet!"

"Red!" Frank's voice cut through the fight, "Duck."

He tilted his head to the left and ducked knocking down one of the Chitauri beasts' feet as he went. A bullet whistled by him and plunged into the creature's brain with a squishing sound.

A childlike whimper cut through the noise of the battle and Matt instantly stiffened trying to lock onto the sound in the chaos. He tilted his head as he punched another alien in the throat.

_There!_ He took off at a mad dash in the direction of the kid.

"Frank!" He yelled, he gestured wildly towards something and Frank seemed to see whoever it was he was headed towards.

"I see it. I'll cover you Red." Bullets flew around him; the enemies dropping like flies and clearing a pathway, "Give the kid back-up he has the Gauntlet!"

Strange in his brief explanation of the last five years had mentioned the gauntlet. The idea that six stones had the power to end everything in the universe was still boggling his mind, but that wouldn't stop him from making sure the other side didn't get their hands on it.

Enemies swarmed around the kid, attacking him from all angles. The kid was on his back, Matt didn't smell any blood coming from him, but that didn't mean he wasn't injured. Around the kid, Matt could smell a pile of still-warm alien bodies surrounded him. Matt jumped over the corpses, ducked under something metal that whooshed over his head and offered the kid his hand. He could tell the kid paused slightly in confusion before he grabbed his outstretched hand, clenching the gauntlet to his chest. Matt tugged, and the kid came free of the bodies.

Matt tilted his head listening. There was a faint whistle, and distantly he could hear Frank yelling something. His instincts kicked in and he tackled the kid to the ground. A moment later, something hit the ground where they had been seconds before and the world exploded with heat.

Everything was ringing. Something warm dripped down his neck. Through the layer of dirt, he caught a whiff of salt. It was blood. Great, he was bleeding, probably from his ears. The world around him sounded like it was underwater.

Matt groaned, still wrapped around the kid. And it was a kid, even if he could feel some muscles under his skin-tight suit. Or maybe the kid was wrapped around him? There was certainly something metallic around them he could feel its vibrations. Debris from the carpet bombing maybe? Either way, Matt's foggy brain made a mental note to tell Foggy and Karen about this. Whoever thought it was a good idea to let minors onto the battlefield was going to face the full force of the Murdock and Nelson legal team, end of the world or not.

He laid there a moment. He just needed a minute then he'd get up. At least no one dropped a building on him this time.

"Uh, Mr. Daredevil." The kid's voice was coming in clearer, probably because he was close. "It's really cool to meet you and um, thanks for pushing me out of the blast zone but do you think you could let me up now?"

Matt loosened his grip and the kid popped off of him. Matt stumbled to his feet a moment later. He winced it felt like he broke a rib.

The kid's heart rate spiked, and Matt could smell a hint of fear. He hoped it wasn't aimed at him. He'd never had the best reputation but after Fisk's most recent scheme it was at a whole new level of low.

"Are you alright Mr. Daredevil do I need to get you to a doctor?"

Oh, that was… different. The kid wasn't scared of him. He was scared for him. Well, that was a nice change of pace.

A thwap, thwap sounded beside him. What was that? The kid tugged something and one of the beasts in front of them toppled over. Matt quickly flipped over it and used all his force to snap the creature's neck.

The kid shrieked behind him.

_Shit!_ With his hearing echoing he hadn't picked up on that one. He dove at the kid again, tackling him out of the way as another creature snapped its jaws. Suddenly, there was fwoosh as metal dug into flesh and the metallic smell of blood. The ground rattled as the creature slumped down. Matt could hear its heartbeat slow.

"Wow look at us. It's like we're all wearing the same thing! We're like triplets!" An overly cheery male voice said from beside him. "And you must be my friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, ohhhh and Daredevil too. Marvel Studios really didn't hold back on this one. No expense spared. Good for them!" Matt scowled as the man rambled, his swords continuing to stab the dead creature.

Who was this now?

Wait- The kid, the kid was Spider-Man? Spider-Man was a child. Tony Stark had brought a child to Germany to fight Steve Rogers. And now Strange too… Matt ground his teeth, pushing the thought back. He'd process it later when his ears weren't bleeding. For now, they just needed to keep the kid safe.

"We'll cover you, kid." He grunted, "Just get moving and get that gauntlet to someone else pronto. It makes you a moving target."

"Oh, is that your Batman voice! That's such a turn on. Any chance you can put the fetish gear on later Double D and we can have some fun?"

Matt growled at him. Was this guy serious right now?

"Wow, you have no idea what you're doing to me right now." The man turned his head like he was listening to something, "You're probably right Yellow, ever since the Mouse got their hands-on Fox I've been told to keep it PG-13 and you've been canceled. Still off-screen is fair game right? Ohh this is going to be so much _fun_!"

Spider-Man giggled at the man's antics, "Sorry Spidey, I'll keep it PG just for you. Now let's do the superhero scene. You know I think there's really some cross-marketing potential here. I mean with our matching costumes we kind of look like a boy band. Disney should market that shit."

"Shut up!" Matt growled drop kicking a pair of soldiers in front of them. It was getting hard to think with all the stimulus he really didn't need a soundtrack on top of that.

"Temper, temper." The man mocked, Matt could tell he was wagging a finger in front of his face. It took all his willpower to resist breaking it, "I can tell you're the handsome broody one in the band."

"Let's just get the kid and the gauntlet along before Thanos gets it."

"So serious, Red, just like Cable. Speaking of him, is it just me or does he sound a lot like Thano-"

Matt tuned out the man's rambling as he heard Captain America yell 'heads up Queens' from across the field. "Spider-Man, I think your ride is here." He said pointing his finger up towards something in the sky. Whatever it was whooshing towards them, Spider-Man seemed to take the hint. Throwing his arm out, Matt heard the gentle fwoosh of what must be the kid's webbing. Then the kid was flying off the ground.

"Bye Mr. Daredevil, bye Mr. Deadpool thanks for your help!"

Wait- Deadpool. Did the kid just say Deadpool? Matt groaned this day kept getting better and better.

"Bye, little Red!" Deadpool screamed too his left, "I'm sure I'll you soon in our next team-up movie!"

Suddenly all the mad rambling and non-stop talking made sense. Of all the people he could be working with he had ended up next to Deadpool.

He groaned. This better be over soon, because even if he couldn't kill Deadpool the longer he spent with the man, the more likely he was tempted to try.

* * *

It was all over. It was finally over. Danny lowered his fists as the enemy army turned to dust in front of him. He looked back to Colleen she looked sweaty and tired, but she was grinning at him.

He smiled back at her. They'd won.

Behind her he saw Luke with his hoodie practically ripped to shreds. Jessica leaned against him, a bruise on her face and some soot in her hair but otherwise looking pretty much intact. Daredevil was being hauled across the field, slung between Frank Castle and- was that _Deadpool_? But, other than Matt looking incredibly grumpy and having some blood on his face the man looked no worse than usual. He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

This wasn't like Midland circle this time they'd helped save the world and they'd all made it out. Danny's hand clasped around Colleen as he approached his fellow New York vigilantes.

"Everyone okay?" He asked.

Luke rolled his shoulders and nodded.

Jessica snarked next to him, "I need about three bottles of something and to lay in bed for a week. But other than that, everything's fine."

"I still can't believe that the Russos didn't work a Thanoscopter joke in." Deadpool's voice rang across the field.

"You make one more noise over there and I'm going to put so many holes in you, you'll look like a termite mound," Frank growled at his companion, his voice was low and annoyed. Danny didn't doubt the man would follow through.

Between them, Matt groaned pathetically.

"What's wrong with him?" Danny warily asked Castle as the group got closer.

"Think he's just exhausted." Castle said.

"He's right here and doesn't appreciate being treated like he's five." Matt hissed at them, though his expression was much closer.

"Maybe when you stop acting like a dumbass I'll stop treating you like one." Castle shot back.

"Is it just me or am I sensing some homoerotic undertones here?" Deadpool whispered to him. Danny felt his face turn bright red and he coughed awkwardly.

"Uh, if you guys lay him down maybe I can help him feel a bit better with my Chi." Danny raised his fist tentatively, "It won't be a full fix because I don't have much energy left, but it should help some at least until we can get him to a hospital."

Castle nodded and slowly lowered the Devil of Hell's Kitchen to the ground. While Deadpool danced towards Jessica, who had stepped closer and was now inspecting Matt's injuries.

"Hello there Joan Jett. I don't believe we've met. Most people call my Deadpool, that's my superhero name, but I'll let you in on my top secret identit-"

"What did you just call me," Jessica asked flatly. A look of disbelief flashing in her brown eyes. Uh oh, Danny thought he'd really pissed her off now.

"Oh, wow don't you just look like a bundle of 80s anger management issues. Did you time travel too or are you just built on nostalgia? Wait till I tell Yukio that I met you! I think she has you on her Fuck-Kill-Marry list."

Jessica swung her fist back without a second thought and decked Deadpool right in his dick. Danny winced in sympathy.

"Mother of fish sticks! Why?!" Deadpool asked as he fell to his knees his hands carefully protecting his crouch.

"Shut up! Danny get over here and fist Murdock back to life."

"Did you have to say it like that?" Matt asked with a grimace and Danny had to agree. Jessica Jones really did have a way to turn anything vulgar. He looked over Matt who was more than a little bruised and wincing. He probably had a couple of broken ribs.

Danny hummed to himself as focused his energy and felt the warm flow of life gather in his hand. Then he pressed it against Matt's chest and felt the energy exit. It wasn't much. Not nearly enough to heal everything. But he heard Matt's breath hitch and a little sigh of relief bubble out from him.

"Thanks, Danny." The man said.

Danny nodded and smiled, "Of course. And when you're feeling better if you're ever up for a spar…" He scratched the back of his head, leaving the offer open.

"Sure, thing Danny. I'll find you." He grinned it would be good to have someone seasoned besides Colleen to practice with.

Just then the skies which had been clear up to a second ago began to let out a slow drizzle. A sob came from somewhere far away.

"What's going on?" Danny asked turning back to the others, who had equal looks of confusion on their faces.

Matt frowned and tilted his head, "I think…" He let out an Ave Maria, "Tony Stark is dead."

Danny could feel the ripple of shock go through his friends.

"There's no way…" Jessica started.

Luke just looked sadly down at the others. Even Deadpool was momentarily silent.

They'd won but they lost.

Iron Man -Tony Stark- was dead. He'd given his life, so they could win this thing.

He saw Matt clasping his hands together and mutter a prayer under his breath.

Jessica and Luke both had grim looks on their faces as they processed. None of them had known Stark personally. Danny had moved in some of the same circles. He'd met the man a couple of times, but he didn't know him personally. After the Snap the man retired with his wife and Danny tried to use what was left of his fortune to help stabilize New York. Still Tony Stark, one of the first Avengers and a visionary. The man had shaped an era and there was no denying that the world was all the darker without him.

It was, as expected, Deadpool that broke the silent vigil, "Hey punk rock princess wanna help me get discount Batman to the hospital then go get some chimichangas and get weird?" Jessica raised her eyebrows. "I have tequila," Deadpool said and somehow managed to wiggle his eyebrows at her through his mask.

Frank Castle snorted. Seemingly glad that the merc with a mouth had found a different target to snark at.

Jessica ignored Deadpool and turned to Luke, "Any chance you want to get some coffee after all this?"

Luke's face lit up in a small smile, "Maybe, but you know how I feel about coffee."

"I hope you're taking that to Harlem," Matt said sullenly, "That's the last thing I want to hear when I'm trying to fall asleep tonight."

"Well, no one asked you to be a voyeur Devilboy. Jesus, I knew you were kinky, but I thought the altar boy in you would keep that kind of thing to yourself. Come on let's go boys. New York awaits."

* * *

**Author's Notes: I've had this on my computer since Endgame came out and since it's finally out on DVD I thought it was about time I got around to publishing this one-shot. I just really needed something with the Marvel TV characters and others fighting Thanos. I headcanon the Defenders and Agents of Shield out there on that battleground so much. Speaking of AoS originally they were supposed to have cameos here, but instead, they took over my writing and I had to start a separate fic for them that I'll have to publish later. Anyways hope you enjoy and let me know what you think about deadpool here. It's my first time writing him and he's surprisingly tricky to write.**

**A Bonus Outtake I just couldn't make work: **

**Danny "Shouldn't we check on the battle, to make sure everyone is safe?"**

**Deadpool "Hey, Way of the Warrior. Let the A-Listers do their job. They need the screen time." **


End file.
